This new service, along with others (e.g Common Ailments Service, Welsh Eye Care service, Minor Injuries Unit) is being implemented to ease the pressure in General Practice and free the GP up to deal with the issues they should be dealing with.

If you decide that you and your family would benefit from the support of the Resilient Families Service please telephone 01443 425006 or email childrens.mash@rctcbc.gcsx.gov.uk. Or you can ask a professional you are in contact with to make a referral for you (eg. GP, School, Health Visitor, Social Worker).

What is Care Navigation?

Contacting the GP practice for an appointment can sometimes seem a ‘lottery’. Across Cwm Taf, there’s a lot happening right now to make sure that when people need to see a GP, they have access to one quickly and in a way that suits them, be that in person or over the phone.

Sometimes though, the GP is not really the best person to see. Patients could be seen and treated by a pharmacist or optician for example and in some cases, the GP practice might not be the right place at all for the query. That's where ‘care navigation’ as comes in.

Care navigators are receptionists and admin staff but through specialist training they also possess additional skills and provide a crucial practice role in improving access to primary care, all with the aim of helping patients to get to the right service faster. When you call the surgery our Care Navigators will ask you a few questions about the problem you are calling about. This is simply so they can direct you to the person who would be most suitable to help you with your problem. Of course, you do not have to do this, but it would help us to help you and other patients by ensuring GP appointments are available for those patients who do need to see a GP.